North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus aims to go green with the launch of its sustainable development management plan, which sets out arrangements to support carbon reduction and sustainable development agendas within the Trust.

The NHS as a whole has pledged a commitment to sustainable development. Sustainable development is making sure the needs of the present are met without compromising the needs of future generations. It is about energy efficiency, carbon reduction and recycling and also ensuring social justice and equity, and integrating environmental, health, social, political and economic issues into decision making.

The NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy 2009 sets out clear and measurable milestones to monitor and reduce direct carbon emissions, which make a contribution towards this commitment. There are clear links to financial sustainability and to transforming services in a way which makes them more acceptable to patients and reduces carbon.

As part of the plan, a sustainable development steering group will be established at the CTP to lead the implementation of the carbon reduction and sustainable development agendas.

Dr Tony Hill, joint executive director of public health, said: “The sustainable development management plan will help the CTP to fulfil its commitment to conducting all aspects of its activities with due consideration to sustainability, whilst providing high quality patient care.

“Not only is there is a strong economic and public health case for why the CTP needs to take action, it is also the right thing to be doing in terms of our corporate responsibility to support efforts to tackle climate change. The CTP is well placed to provide leadership and demonstrate what can be achieved in progress towards sustainability.”